1977 Alfa Romeo Spider on 2040-cars

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Abarth Classiche 1300 OT revives the Alfa Romeo 4C for one last hurrah

The Alfa Romeo 4C is back from the dead. Well, at least partially. This Abarth Classiche 1300 OT doesn’t wear an Alfa Romeo badge, but itÂ’s effectively a re-bodied and re-jiggered 4C built with an eye to the past. Limited to only five examples, the Classiche 1300 OT is part of StellantisÂ’ “Reloaded by Creators” project that aims to reinterpret beloved cars of its past in a modern form. This time, the model is the Fiat-Abarth OT 1300 race car from 1965. WeÂ’ll put new and old side-by-side below for you to critique how Abarth did. One of the original carÂ’s most distinctive features was the big periscope atop the roof meant to cool the cabin while racing, and Abarth made a small attempt at recreating it with a little scoop atop the roof. Its hood features a scoop that looks a little like the originalÂ’s, and you can see similar inspiration found for its rear taillghts. All that said, this re-body job doesnÂ’t really go far enough to make you forget itÂ’s actually just an Alfa Romeo 4C underneath. You may recall a similar attempt made a few years ago with the Abarth 1000 SP that used the same formula, but instead was based on the 4C Spider. Technical details are practically non-existent for this new Classiche 1300 OT, but we suspect itÂ’s powered by the same 1.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the 4C was and cracks off shifts via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. We donÂ’t know the curb weight, but Abarth says all of its body is now made of carbon fiber, so itÂ’s likely to be even lighter than the standard 4C. If weÂ’re lucky, Abarth has done some re-tuning of the powertrain and suspension to differentiate how it drives compared to the 4C. And if you want one of these creations, Abarth says ordering is open now, but remember, only five are ever going to be built.

It's the Alfa Romeo Milano after all

We wound through as many switchbacks as found on the Brennero Pass when trying to decide ahead of time whether Alfa Romeo would name its coming subcompact SUV the Brennero. A set of GPS coordinates in a post on X turned us around again just a few days ago. The deceptions are finally done, Alfa Romeo declaring the name of its new entry-level offering: Milano. Most Americans will know the name as a cookie, either the original from Pepperidge Farm (derived from a cookie called "Naples") or the horde of imitations that Pepperidge Farm has taken legal action against. Many American enthusiasts will know the Alfa Romeo Milano as a sedan made from 1985 to 1992, called the 75 in other markets as a nod to the brand's 75th anniversary and one of our Future Classics. As with the previous Milano, this one that debuts next April comes with historical associations. The name honors the classic sedan as well as the automaker's hometown of Milan, a city doubly honored on this vehicle by bearing Milanese symbols in its logo: The cross and the Biscione serpent, the coat of arms of the Visconti family. Alfa classifies this as a Sport Urban Vehicle to succeed the Giulietta and Mito; as an entry-level offering beneath the Tonale, if the Brennero adopts dimensions of the sibling Jeep Avenger, the Brennero will be about 16 inches shorter than the Tonale, its roof about three inches lower.  Alfa Romeo saying the Milano "will also be available in a 100% electric version" provides confirmation of both ICE and EV powertrains, mimicking the choices for the Avenger. The ICE option could be the Avenger's mild hybrid, built around a 1.2-liter three-cylinder and making a combined 154 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, or a more powerful setup used by Peugeot. As for the EV, assuming no change from the Avenger, the Milano would get a 54-kWh battery and front axle e-motor making 154 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, and around the same 248 miles on a charge on the WLTP cycle. More speculative speculation supposes there could be a dual-motor all-wheel-drive Brennero evolved from the drivetrain in the Avenger 4x4 Concept, perhaps arriving for the 2025 model year in the Alfa, the Avenger, and the Fiat 600e. Just like we don't get the Avenger, we don't expect the Milano to make it this far north if it crosses the Atlantic. We'll know what other markets can expect when the SUV debuts in April 2024.

Alfa Romeo Giulia, Stelvio to get special editions, one more refresh

Alfa Romeo has made its plans perfectly clear. It’s going EV, and that means that the Giulia and Stelvio as they exist today with powerful gasoline engines will eventually cease to exist. However, weÂ’re still a few years away from that electric future, so Alfa has a little time to play its current models out with style. We asked senior VP of Alfa Romeo Larry Dominique what we should expect from Giulia and Stelvio in between now and the switch to electric, and he was happy to give us a glimpse at whatÂ’s ahead. “So what weÂ’ve done is develop these buzz models,” Dominique tells us. “The first one is the Estrema, which weÂ’ve already announced and weÂ’re launching it with 2023 production in May. This fall, weÂ’re going to start talking about other things like a Lusso Edition and Competizione Edition and things like that.” WeÂ’ve already heard about the Estrema, but the Lusso Edition and Competizione Edition are both new. The Lusso, if Alfa remains consistent, will likely be a luxury-centered version of the Giulia and Stelvio. ItÂ’s the Competizione that has our attention. Similar to the Estrema, this model sounds like it would be directed toward enthusiasts and feature some performance upgrades. “So weÂ’re going to look at these different components, different parts, QV parts on a Veloce and things like that,” Dominique said. “Unique color combinations and unique colors.” Adding QV (Quadrifoglio) parts to non-Quadrifoglio models is a similarly enticing proposition. We can hope that it comes to pass, because this would result in some rather aggressive-looking Giulias and Stelvios that donÂ’t come with a Quadrifoglio price. Looking into the somewhat more distant future, Dominique says that the current generation Giulia and Stelvio will get one final refresh for the 2024 model year.  “In 2024 model year, weÂ’re going to have a final minor change for Stelvio and Giulia,” Dominique continued. “So youÂ’re going to see some changes visually inside and outside, associated with that. And weÂ’ll continue with the buzz model strategy, even though we have the 2024 change coming at the same time.” If youÂ’re a Giulia or Stelvio fan (as we tend to be), this final refresh car is bound to be a desirable one. Instead of dwindling away without any attention, Alfa is singing its gas-powered Giulia and Stelvio out with a little love before theyÂ’re officially put out to pasture in favor of electric models.